Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Ability to produce offspring, especially in large numbers in a short period.  

Accumulation of hardened feces in the rectum or lower part of the colon which the person is unable to move. Treatment is by enemas and manual breaking of the stool with a gloved finger. Prevention includes a diet containing bulk foods, adequate water intake, exercise, and sometimes use of stool softeners. An accumulated hard mass…

A tendency to become easily tired or to lose strength. The condition of becoming easily tired or exhausted.  

Number of deaths during a given period for a stipulated population (e.g., the percentage of people in the United States who die of a particular disease in 1 year).  

Biochemical processes in the body by which fats ingested in the diet are broken down (first into fatty acids and glycerol and then into simpler compounds) into substances that can be used by the cells of the body. Fats are a major energy source, providing approximately 9 kilocalories per gram, compared with about 4 kilocalories…

Serious circulatory disease in which a fat embolus blocks an artery; the embolus enters the circulation after fracture of a long bone or traumatic injury to adipose (fatty) tissue or a fatty liver. Obstruction of an artery by a fat globule released from bone. Symptoms may occur immediately or within 2-3 days after surgery or…

Intestinal infection common in the Far East and caused by eating aquatic plants (e.g., water chestnuts) contaminated with Fasciolopsis buski flukes. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and, in severe cases, edema. Treatment is by anthelmintics. A disease, common in the Far East, caused by the fluke Fasciolopsis buski in the small intestine. At the site…

Part of a patient’s medical history in which questions are asked about the incidence and prevalence of specific diseases and disorders in his/her family in an attempt to ascertain whether the patient has a hereditary or familial tendency toward a particular disease. A record of the state of health and medical history of members of…

Inherited disorder characterized by a high level of serum cholesterol and early development of atherosclerosis that places affected individuals at a high risk for certain types of heart disease. An inherited tendency to have dangerously high blood cholesterol levels. Since high cholesterol levels increase the risk of atherosclerosis (artery disease), people with this condition have…

Loss of ability to function normally.